1. Technical Field
The invention pertains to the field of telephone switching systems. More particularly, the invention relates to an enhanced method for initiating telephone calls and an apparatus that supports that method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most modern businesses own a private telephone network switch, installed locally, that supports multi-featured telephone systems in a facility. These private network switches are commonly referred to as PBX systems, or PBXs. The acronym PBX stands for private branch exchange. These PBX systems were first developed to allow business"", or other institutions to share a small quantity of telephone lines amongst their employees. Later, as more employees in the business had telephone instruments installed at their work stations, other features, such as multi-line access and intrafacility communications found their way into the PBX feature list. Modern PBX systems are much more that just telephone switches. PBXs now incorporate special purpose computers that automatically handle telephone call switching within a company facility, provide voice mail, message routing services, and even route digital information among computers and other office devices.
With all of their modern functionality, PBX systems do not provide a means for company administrative assistants to initiate telephone calls on behalf of company executives. The notion of company executives asking an assistant to place telephone calls is not new. In the prior art, an executive provides an assistant with a list of names of the people that are to be contacted by telephone. The assistant then uses a multi-line telephone set to place calls to the individuals. Once the desired person is on the telephone line, the assistant places that line on-hold. The assistant then uses an intercom line, most probably also provided by the PBX system, to inform the executive that their desired party is on the line. The executive then picks-up the line placed on hold. Once the executive finishes the call, the executive then uses the intercom to ask the assistant to place the next call. This method of initiating telephone calls on behalf of company executives seems crude, but has endured for many years for lack of a better scheme.
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for initiating telephone calls on behalf of a first party. The method relies on the use of two telephone lines that can be selectively connected together. An administrative assistant either receives or places a first telephone call to communicate with an executive, i.e. the first party. Once the administrative assistant has received direction from the first party, the first party is then placed on-hold on the first telephone line.
The administrative assistant then uses a second telephone line to contact a second party to whom the first party wants to talk. Once the second party is on the second line, the first and second telephone lines are connected to each other. The administrative assistant is then isolated from the conversation.
Known PBX systems do not provide support for this method, hence additional hardware is required. This hardware is referred to as an initiation unit. The method of isolating the telephone handset from the telephone base is supported by the initiation unit. According to the method of the invention, so long as a privacy signal is received either from a cradle where the handset can be placed, a switch proximate to the telephone instrument, or a new handset that includes a sensor that detects when the handset is placed down on a surface, the first and second parties can communicate in private. This means that the administrative assistant is isolated from the conversation.
According to the method, if the first party needs assistance from the administrative assistant, the telephone instrument is reconnected to the conversation. The method further requires that the first telephone line be monitored for a service request signal. The service request signal can be in the form of dual-tone-multi-frequency tone bursts or in the form of verbal commands spoken by the first party. The hardware initiation unit comprises a service detector that is embodied as a dual-tone-multi-frequency decoder and/or a speech recognition unit. Whenever the first party signals for service, the administrative assistant is signaled by way of either an audible or visible indicator. The initiation unit provides these features directly in support of the method. the method allows the administrative assistant to be reconnected to the first party by removing a handset from a cradle, or by actuating a pick-up switch. The connection can also be reestablished by picking up a new handset that senses when it is no longer on a surface. The method provides for use of an audible indicator to notify the first party whenever the administrative assistant is connected or disconnected from the call to ensure that the first party is aware of the fact that the administrative assistant has picked up the handset and has been reconnected to the conversation. The audible indicator, as specified in the method, can be either a tone sequence or a synthetic voice. The hardware apparatus provides either a tone generator or a speech synthesizer to support the method.
The invention further comprises a telephone instrument that supports the present method. The telephone instrument comprises a controller; a base; and a handset interface. The telephone instrument interfaces to a plurality of telephone lines that can be selectively activated using engagement switches. A hold switch lets the administrative assistant put the first party on hold so that a second party can be contacted. The telephone instrument further comprises a conference switch that allows two telephone lines to be connected together and an isolation switch that isolates the handset interface from the active conference.
The telephone instrument can be used with a known handset in which case a cradle switch detects when the handset is on-hook. When the handset is placed on the cradle, it is isolated from the conversation occurring between the first and second parties. When used with a new handset that can sense if the handset is placed down on a surface, the handset is isolated if the administrative assistant places the handset in the cradle or on a surface, such as a desk. An audio generator is built into the telephone instrument and generates either tone or synthetic speech indications of when the administrative assistant picks up or drops off the line.
The telephone instrument comprises a service detector that monitors the first telephone line and causes the ringer to sound when it senses a service request. Commensurate with the method, the service request can be tone or spoken command based and the telephone instrument comprises a dual-tone-multi-frequency decoder and speech recognition unit to support this.
To support more complex installation requirements, the invention comprises a user module for a private branch exchange control element. The user module comprises at least two interfaces for voice channels that connect to the internal distribution bus of the control element. The user module also comprises switches that allow the two channels to be accessed by a user interface. The user interface connects to a telephone instrument used by the administrative assistant. The user module also comprises a cross channel switch that allows the two voice channels to be connected together.
Integral to the user module is a logic sequencer. The logic sequencer manages the connection of the two channel switches and the cross channel switch in a manner consistent with the method of the invention. The user module comprises an on-hook/flash detector circuit that enables the logic sequencer to recognize when the user interface is on or off hook or when a flash is indicated.
Normally, the sequencer allows the first channel to be used by a telephone instrument connected to the user interface. When a phone call is in process as between the first voice channel and the user interface, a flash event causes the user module, under the control of the sequencer, to place the first voice channel on hold and allow the user interface to place a new phone call on the second voice channel. If the second phone call is preceded with a special command, an executive phone patch mechanism is enabled. The phone patch mechanism allows the phone call carried on the first voice channel to be connected to the phone call carried on the second voice channel. The connection is established using the cross switch in response to either an on-hook status or a flash event from the user interface. When the connection is established pursuant to a flash event, the user interface is included in the conversation in a conferencing manner. Otherwise, the user interface is isolated from the conversation between the two voice channels.
The user module monitors the status of the second voice channel and when that channel goes inactive, it rings the user interface in order to signal the administrative assistant so long as the first voice channel remains active. Once the administrative assistant picks up, the user interface is connected to the first voice channel.
In support of the indications required by the method of the invention, the user module comprises an audio generator and a service detector. The audio generator generates audible indicators whenever the user interface is
The method allows the administrative assistant to be reconnected to the first party by removing a handset from a cradle, or by actuating a pick-up switch. The connection can also be reestablished by picking up a new handset that senses when it is no longer on a surface. The method provides for use of an audible indicator to notify the first party whenever the administrative assistant is connected or disconnected from the call to ensure that the first party is aware of the fact that the administrative assistant has picked up the handset and has been reconnected to the conversation. The audible indicator, as specified in the method, can be either a tone sequence or a synthetic voice. The hardware apparatus provides either a tone generator or a speech synthesizer to support the method.
The invention further comprises a telephone instrument that supports the present method. The telephone instrument comprises a controller; a base; and a handset interface. The telephone instrument interfaces to a plurality of telephone lines that can be selectively activated using engagement switches. A hold switch lets the administrative assistant put the first party on hold so that a second party can be contacted. The telephone instrument further comprises a conference switch that allows two telephone lines to be connected together and an isolation switch that isolates the handset interface from the active conference.
The telephone instrument can be used with a known handset in which case a cradle switch detects when the handset is on-hook. When the handset is placed on the cradle, it is isolated from the conversation occurring between the first and second parties. When used with a new handset that can sense if connected or removed from the conversation. These indications can be either tone or synthetic voice based. The service detector detects dual-tone-multi-frequency tones sequences or verbal commands received on the first voice channel. In response to these, the sequencer rings the user interface until the administrative assistant picks up or the first voice channel goes inactive. When the administrative assistant does pick-up, the user interface is connected to first voice channel.